Maryland State Wire

This September, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) is set to debut its exhibition, The Way of Nature: Art from Japan, China, and Korea. The showcase, opening on September 21, 2025, will remain accessible until March 8, 2026, and forms a part of the BMA’s Turn Again to the Earth initiative. This initiative delves into the ties between art and the environment.

Asma Naeem, the BMA’s Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director, remarked, "The Way of Nature offers an insightful look at the intertwining roots of artistic expression and the experience of the natural world through vibrant works from the BMA’s Asian art collection. It’s an exciting opportunity to see objects on view for the first time, or in a long time, through a lens that is both accessible and meaningful, as many of us seek connection through and to nature."

The exhibition features over 40 works, ranging from ink drawings and crafted stoneware to modern photographs and prints, exploring nature as a crucial inspiration for creativity and spiritual engagement. It is organized into four thematic sections engaging with elements like air, water, stone, and human involvement in nature.

Notable pieces include an early- to mid-20th century Japanese Fireman’s Coat, intricately designed, portraying a hawk above waves, and significant pieces like Water and Mountain Landscape by Chinese artist Huang Junbi, and the wood and jade sculpture Miniature Mountain with Longevity Motifs.

Other sections highlight the implications of seasons in artwork, represented by objects featuring plum blossoms, including works by Kamisaka Sekka and an unidentified 13th-century artist from China. Additionally, themes of human impact on nature are presented, with Zhang Kechun’s series on the environmental effects in China and Leiko Shiga’s documentation of Japan’s 2011 natural disaster.

The exhibit's final part addresses spiritual transcendence and is highlighted by the eight-panel Korean screen, Ten Symbols of Long Life, incorporating themes of longevity through symbolic imagery.

The exhibition is curated by Frances Klapthor, the BMA Associate Curator of Asian Art.

Founded in 1914, the Baltimore Museum of Art hosts an extensive collection of over 97,000 objects spanning various cultures and eras. It includes the largest public collection of works by Henri Matisse, as well as notable prints, drawings, and photographs. The impressive neoclassical building, designed by John Russell Pope, and two landscaped gardens featuring contemporary sculpture, add to its appeal. Located near Johns Hopkins University, the BMA offers free admission.